Starter for internal-combustion engines.



G. R. WADSWORTH.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. I912.

1,251,71 1. Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

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Mar/Mays G. R. WADSWORTH.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1912.

1 ,25 1 ,7 1 1 Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. WADSWORTH, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEERLESS MOTORCAR COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 24, 1912. Serial No. 699,399.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. WADS- WOR'IH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cleveland, in the county. of Guyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Starters forInternal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

This invention relates to starters for internal combustion engines,adapted particularly for use with motor vehicles. The object of theinvention is to provide a starter of the electric type, which isefiicient and at the same time extremely simple in its construction andoperation.

More specifically the invention aims to rovide a starter of the electrictype wherein y simply depressing a starting pedal or equivalentoperating member, the motor is first started at slow speed; thence isconnected to the engine by shifting a motor driven gear into mesh withthe gear on the engine shaft, and thence is caused to operate at fullspeed so as to turn over the engine for starting purposes, the motorbeing started, and the gear being shifted during the start of the pedalmovement, and the motor speed being thence accelerated during thefurther pedal movement.

The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novelcombinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in thespecification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have shown' the preferred form of myinvention, Figure 1 is a top plan view of an automobile chassis providedwith my improved starter, parts eing broken away and other arts being insection; Fi 2 is a longitu inal sectional view thereo Fig. 3 is anenlarged sectional elevation, the section being taken substantiall alongthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in tiie direction indicated by thearrows; Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional View with partsremoved, the section being taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig.1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and Fig. 5 is adiagrammatic view showing the electrical connections between the switch,battery, motor and startingfiresistance.

.. eferring now to the figures of the drawing, represents a portion ofthe chassis which is provided w th an internal combust1on engine, saidengme, a portion of which 'is shown at 11 in Fig. 1 being provided witha fly wheel 11*. Supported in any suitable manner from the frame is alow voltage electrio motor 12, whichis employed only when the engine isbeing turned over and at other times 1s inactive. The armature shaft ofthe motor is provided with a small gear 13 which at all times mesheswith a larger gearv 14., which is mounted upon a countershaft provldedwith a starting inion 15, which is adapted to be shifted into and out ofengagement with a large gear 16 sup orted in some manner from the cranksha t of the engine, and in this case mounted directly upon the flywheel of the engine.

The pinion is connected to the countershaft by a clutch 17 of the wellknown type which elfects drivin connection betweenthe p1nion andcounters aft when the pinion is turned in one direction but allows thepinion to turn freely on the countershaft when the pinion is turned inthe opposite'direction. The pinion 15 is adapted to be shifted by a yoke18 operated in a manner subsequently to be described.

At the right of the motor 12 is a shaft 19 on which is mounted, inaddition to the brake pedal 20, and clutch pedal 21, a starter pedal 22.The starter pedal is keyed or plnned to the shaft 19, as is likewise adownwardly projecting arm 23, see articularly Flgs'. 3 and 4. The lowerend 0 the arm 23 is connected by a link 24 to the lower "arm 25 of adouble crank mounted on a short shaft or stud 26, which isarranged atthe rear of the pedal shaft 19, and somewhat below the same as clearlyshown in the drawings. This double crank has an upwardly projectin arm27 provided with a roller 28. A thir crank arm 29, supported upon theshaft 26, is connected by a rearwardly extending link 30 to'the movablemember of a switch 31, this switch being shown in outline in Fig. 1, andconventionallyor diagrammatioil arm 27, The shaft 32 is provided nearthe opposite side of the chassis from the cam 33 with a downwardlyextending arm 34, to which is connected the rear end of a link 35, whichextends forwardly and is connected at its forward end to the yoke 18which shifts the pinion 15. 1

By reference to Fig. 5, wherein the electric connections are showndiagrammatically, it will be seen that the switch 31 which is adapted toconnect and disconnect the motor 12, and battery 36, includes a movablecontact 31 and three stationary contacts 31", 31, and 31 This switch hastwo operative positions in the first of which the movable contact 31bridges the contacts 31 and 31?, and in the second of which the movablecontact'bridges the contacts 31 and 31 One terminal of the battery isshown connected to stationary contact 31, and the other terminal of thebattery is shown connected through the motor to stationary contact 31The latter is connected by a resistance 37 to the contact 31". lit willbe seen therefore that when the switch is in its first operativeposition, the motor and battery are connected together and in circuitwith the resistance 37. This will cause the motor to be operated at slowspeed. It will be seen also that when the switch is in the secondoperative position, the resistance is cut out of the circuit so as toallow the motor to operate at a much higher speed.

While I have described one form of switch, it is to be understood thatthis particular type of switch' is unnecessary, and that any othersuitable form of switch which answers the requirements may be employed.

The operation of the starting mechanism is as follows: The pedal 22 isdepressed by the operator when occupying the seat of the vehicle andthrough the link 24, the pedal movement is transmitted to the threecrank armsmounted upon the shaft 26. During the initial movement of thepedal, the roller does not shift the cam 33, but the switch 30 isshifted to its first operative position so as to cause the motor tooperate at slow speed.

A further movement of the pedal causes the roller to engage and shiftthe cam 33 and hence to rock the ,shaft 32, and through the mechanismconnected therewith and to the pinion clutch, to shift the pinion intoengagement with the gear on the fly wheel. After this takes place, thefinal downward movement of the pedal moves the switch to a secondoperative position so as to cause the resistance 37 to be cut out andthe motor to be speeded up and attain the speed and power necessary toturn over the engine.

After the engine picks up and operates under its own power, the operatorwill release the pedal 22, and after the release of this pedal, a spring38 on the link 30 (see Fig. 1) returns the switch to of? position,

and a spring 39 on the link 35 causes the pinion to be moved out ofengagement with the fly wheel gear.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combinationwith an internal combustion engine, a starter comprising a motor, abattery, a switch having two operative positions and adapted to connectthe battery tothe motor so that the motor will be operated first at lowspeed and then at high speed, power transmitting mechanism between themotor and engine comprising two members, one adapted to be shifted intoand out of engagement with the other, a starter controlling memberconnected to said switch so as to move the latter to its first, and thento its second operative position, said controlling member having a looseconnection with the shiftable part of the power transmitting mechanismwhereby, when said controlling member is moved, the switch is moved toits first operative position beforedriving relationship is establishedbetween the motor and engine.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a startercomprising an electric motor adapted to operate first at low speed andthen at higher speed, a battery, a switch adapted to connect the batteryand motor and to cause the latter to operate first at low speed and thenat higher speed, a power transmitting mechanism between the motor andthe engine including a member adapted to be shifted intoand out ofengagement with another member to render the transmission mechanismoperative and inoperative, and a starter controlling member having apermanent connection with the switch, and'having a loose connection withsaid shiftable member of the power transmitting mechanism whereby, whensaid started controlling member is operated, the shiftable member of thepower transmitting mechanism will be operated after the switch has beenmoved a predetermined amount,

3. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a startercomprising an electric motor for starting purposes, a battery, a switchfor connecting the battery and motor, and for causing the latter tooperate first at low speed and then at higher speed, power transmittinggearing between the motor and engine comprising a gear adapted to beshifted into and out of engagement with another gear, a startercontrolling 'member, mechanism intermediate said member and movable partof the switch, mechanism connected to said shiftable gear, said lastnamed mechanism being operated by the first named mechanism, when themotor is operating at low speed;

4. lln combination with an internal combustion engine, a startercomprising a motor, a battery, a switch for connecting the bataaemnmotor, mechanism for shifting said gear, in-

cluding a rock shaft and an arm adapted to be rocked by said first namedmechanism when the motor is operating at low speed.

5. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a starterincluding an electric motor, a battery, a switch comprising a movablemember having two operative positions, and serving when in one positionto start the motor and when in another position to accelerate the speedof the motor, gearing between the motor and engine, comprising a gearadapted to be shifted into and out of engagement with another gear, andstarter operating mechanism comprising a starter controlling memberhaving a connection with said movable member of the switch, a rock shafthavin a connection with said movable gear, an having a lost motionconnection with said mechanism, whereby the rock shaft is rocked after apredetermined movement of said mechanism.

6. In combination with an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle,a starter comprising an electric motor, a battery, a switch including amovable switch member having two operative positions adapted to connectthe battery and motor so that the latter is operated first at low speedand then at higher speed, gearing between the motor and enginecomprising two gears, one

adapted to be shifted intoand out of engagement with the other, astarter pedal, mechanism connecting said starter pedal and the movablemember of the switch, a rock shaft connected to said shiftable gear, andmeans whereby said mechanism between the starter pedal and switch causesthe actuation of said rock shaft after a predetermined movement of thepedal. 7

7. In combination with the internal com bustion engine of a motorvehicle, a starter comprising an electric motor, a battery,- a

switch having a movable member adapted to be placed in one operativeposition to start the motor, and in another operative position toaccelerate the speed of the motor, and

gearing between the motor engine, including one gear adapted to beshifted into and out of engagement with another gear, and mechanism forstarting the motor, for shifting said gear into engagement with thecompanion gear, and thence for accelerating the speed of the motorcomprising a starting pedal, a plurality of rocking lever arms, meansconnecting said pedal with one of said lever arms, means connecting saidmovable switch member with another of said lever arms, a rock shaftconnected to said shiftable gear and having a lever arm in position tobe engaged and moved by a third lever arm operated by the pedal, after apredetermined movement of said third lever arm.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto'aflix my I signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

GEORGE R. WADSWORTI-I.

Witnesses:

A. F. KWIS,

A. J. HUDSON.

